Abstract

Background

This study examined the relationship between life satisfaction among medical students
and a basic model of personality, stress and coping. Previous studies have shown relatively
high levels of distress, such as symptoms of depression and suicidal thoughts in medical
undergraduates. However despite the increased focus on positive psychological health
and well-being during the past decades, only a few studies have focused on life satisfaction
and coping in medical students. This is the first longitudinal study which has identified
predictors of sustained high levels of life satisfaction among medical students.

Methods

This longitudinal, nationwide questionnaire study examined the course of life satisfaction
during medical school, compared the level of satisfaction of medical students with
that of other university students, and identified resilience factors. T-tests were
used to compare means of life satisfaction between and within the population groups.
K-means cluster analyses were applied to identify subgroups among the medical students.
Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and logistic regression analyses were used to compare
the subgroups.

Results

Life satisfaction decreased during medical school. Medical students were as satisfied
as other students in the first year of study, but reported less satisfaction in their
graduation year. Medical students who sustained high levels of life satisfaction perceived
medical school as interfering less with their social and personal life, and were less
likely to use emotion focused coping, such as wishful thinking, than their peers.

Conclusion

Medical schools should encourage students to spend adequate time on their social and
personal lives and emphasise the importance of health-promoting coping strategies.